Finance Workers See Big Confidence Spike

January 31, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Confidence
among accounting and finance professionals jumped in January,
as the group's Hudson Employment Index spiked 14.5 points to
120.5, according to a news release.

Improved sentiments regarding personal finances,
job satisfaction and a decrease in expected layoffs
spurred this increase, according to Hudson. The latest
reading for the group is almost eight points higher than
last January’s 112.6.

The
Hudson Employment Index for accounting and finance workers
showed that t
here was a four-point rise to 57% in the number of
workers rating their finances as excellent or good.
Additionally, the percentage of workers who reported their
finances were getting better jumped 12 points to 56% from
the previous month.

Only 13% of workers reported their company would be
laying off staff, a six-point drop from January (19%).
The number of workers who are happy at work jumped from
72% in December to 78% in January.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the index, confidence among
IT professionals decreased in January, as the group’s
reading fell 5.2 points to 104.6. A drop in satisfaction
with finances coupled with a decline in hiring
expectations and increased worry about job loss helped
produce the decrease. The latest figure is down more than
four-points from last January’s 109.

Looking at other sectors, confidence among
manufacturing workers dropped in January after being on the
rise for three consecutive months. The sector’s
index reading slid 7.3 points to 90.1. Weakened financial
sentiments coupled with a decrease in expected hiring and
an increase in expected layoffs contributed to the figure.
The latest reading is in line with last January’s reading
of 90.3.

The overall i
ndex, based on responses from approximately 9,000 workers
across all sectors, climbed 1.5 points to 104.2.